February 2011 Portraits

[Scott --]

Adam, that's fantastic. How'd you light it?

[dupont07]

[Adam W. Byra]

Adam, that's fantastic. How'd you light it?

Hey Scott,
I had a small soft box (0 EV) on my righthand side and a colleague on the left holding silver reflector to soften the shadows a bit. There was also a large soft box (+2 EV) on the left behind the sitter pointing at the background which adds the slight gradient to it and that strong highlight on the face.

Regards,
Adam

[archer]

Dear Adam;
In another thread, I stated that using a sharp lens, allows you to have your cake and eat it too. While most portraitists prefer the soft fuzzies, I always like to start with the sharpest image possible and if required for aesthetic reasons, diffusion can later be applied in printing or even when taking through the use of a diffusion filter. I think your portrait shows the beauty of a sharp image where the subject and not the technique, is the object of the portrait. Well done.
Denise Libby

[mandoman7]

Dear Adam;
... I always like to start with the sharpest image possible and if required for aesthetic reasons, diffusion can later be applied in printing or even when taking through the use of a diffusion filter...
Denise Libby

Tastes vary relative to diffusion, of course, but not many would agree that the diffusion provided by a Verito, for example, can be replicated in post processing. Its the fact that you can't get the same look in photoshop that you get with vintage lenses in 8x10 format that's a big factor in the survival of LF.

[Scott --]

This here's an old one -four years next month. My first try at large format portraiture:


crop224 by Scott --, on Flickr

T'was a Super Speed Graphic, Optar 135/4.7, and Fortepan 400. Daughter was only 4 at the time. She won't sit for portraits anymore...

[mdm]

Tastes vary relative to diffusion, of course, but not many would agree that the diffusion provided by a Verito, for example, can be replicated in post processing. Its the fact that you can't get the same look in photoshop that you get with vintage lenses in 8x10 format that's a big factor in the survival of LF.

I agree that sharp is fine in a portrait. Mush is an aquired taste. There are ways of softening a photograph without loosing the sharp look, like printing on textured paper. How many of you print your lovley swirlies, most of them are made to show off on a computer screen. Anti digital, digital images.

[ImSoNegative]

experimenting with a 180 fujinon sf 4x5, using the red dot

[Frank Petronio]

Shot this in the studio back in December... of course I hand-painted the backdrop and the foreground is made from Styrofoam, real ice would never look like that. Used a big Bron Octabox, full crew of grip and stylists.

[Steve M Hostetter]

Gavin,

600mm f8.0 Prince on 8x10" efke